Return to the Labyrinth
by LadyBug123
Summary: I could then feel my lips began to take shape to say something, it was then I knew what I was going to say but had no way to stop it. "I wish to go back to the Labyrinth, right now" Sarah makes an unexpected visit to the Labyrinth but when she falls back into the hands of the Goblin King will he let her go or does is heart still love his only Sarah?
1. Chapter 1

_The Return to the Labyrinth_

_Epilogue_

_Stairs. So many stairs. So many that the mere thought of climbing one more hurt my feet to no end. My breathe came in hard gusts as I climbed toward my destination. I could feel the sweat on the back of my neck dripping down and the rough stone under my hands when they came in contact with it as I stumbled. My throat felt sore as a screamed for him again. Up up up more stairs._

_They filled the walls in confusing directions. Some i couldn't even think about climbing, some I didn't even know where they would take me, they didn't make any sense. And that was the problem. They couldn't take me where I was nor where I needed to go, they just went on forever. Down down down more stairs._

_I could hear something else in this prison; I tried not concentrating on...his voice. No I mustn't listen to him. I can only focus on finding him, the person I was climbing these stairs for, the boy that I had come through dangers untold for, Toby my dear brother that I would solve a thousand mazes and fight a million goblins for._

_I became also aware of another sound. I ticking clock. It was loud in my head. Seeming to get louder the farther I went. Louder and louder until I had to collapse and covered my ears with balled up fists, Shut my eyes and find the will to keep going. But I couldn't. The ticking was wearing me down and I was growing weak. They seemed to sound out...Tick tick tick...fail fail fail. _

_Tears slid down my cheeks as this realization hit me like a ton of bricks, I had failed him. That was the truth of it all. I had failed my brother. Louder and louder. I was now in a tight ball on a small stair. Feeling like my entire being would explode. Light shined ahead as the ticking continued and the tolling of the clock sounded thirteen times. The light seemed to fill my eyes behind there lids and force me to pay attention._

_A voice...his voice...sounded out in front of me, a whisper only but yet so loud in my ears that they could carve the words into my brain._

"_You've failed Sarah" _

_My hand shot out in front of me and I heard myself scream out_

"_No! Toby!"_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter One_

"Toby!" I screamed as I sat up in my bed, sweat on my face and what felt like no breathe in my lungs. My eyes darted around me, seeking that place I thought I had been but only coming up with my apartment bedroom. A glad replacement.

I put my head on my knees and cuddled my body as the dream came rushing back to me, even though if knew it would never leave my head for another hour. It was another one of those dreams that I occasionally had. About the Labyrinth. There were a number of dreams that crept up on me sometimes, like the stair dream, the dream of walking in a never ending maze or swinging from a branch above a river of the worst smelling putrid. It had been years since that day but it still only felt like I had just got back.

The clock on my bed side table told me it was three in the morning, the rain outside was pouring against my windows. Great, another early start to what I could only imagine would be a very boring day. I had known this day would be coming and deep in my heart I had dreaded it. Sure I was excited but there were issues that needed seeing too and some I didn't entirely want to face.

I dragged myself out of bed and walked over to my small only bathroom of the right to my bedroom. Switching on the light made my eyes burn with sudden light, the floor under my toes was cold and smooth. I splashed my face with cold water to try a clear my head of the memories of the dream. It worked...a little. When I had dried my face I looked at myself in the mirror.

I had changed some since the Labyrinth. My hair was fuller and longer the way I liked it, a soft but dark brown colour that was even darker in the shadows of the small room, almost black. I think my eyes had grown wider too and of course my body had changed in the usual female way. Bumps and curves all over along with a thin figure. I sighed at myself and walked away muttering to myself.

"Wonder if they'd even recognise me back home. Hmpf probably will shut the door in my face as soon as they see me and yell 'we're not buying!' yeah thanks dad"

It wasn't his entire fault, I knew that. But the idea of going home after all these years, since I left for college, walking around, feeling like I didn't belong. Toby was the only good thing worth going to that Evil castle in the depths of memory lane for. Also there was the other reason I had even agreed to spend the holidays with them. I would finally get a chance to find out why they didn't come see me anymore.

I sighed sadly. Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus never came to my room after about a year of visits. They just came fewer and fewer times until one day...nothing. Again sadly I didn't even notice until one day I was cleaning my room for the thousandth time when I came across the 'labyrinth' book in my vanity table. It had been there for so long I had forgotten about it. The memory made me smile then and think of Hoggle and my friends. And I decided that I'd call for them...they didn't come. No matter how much I yelled for them there was no other person calling back to me except my stepmother, telling me to keep the noise down because she was taking a nap. Not exactly what I had been expecting.

I shook my head; no I can't be sad about it. I have to move on from that whole experience, Live my life without them.

Not as easy as it sounds.

...

_The princess walked toward the tall and menacing castle, her stomach twisting and turning at the sight of it. Shivers ran down her spine as the wind howled across the side of her face and the rain and lightening thundered down on the land with heavy waves. Crows squawked and watched like vultures in the trees. Ready to take their prey at the first sign of weakness, that weak prey was about to be me. _

I stared up at my old home with irritation. It still looked the same as it always had big, menacing and totally normal. It reminded me of my evil stepmother. My heavy suitcase at my side, filled with all that I'd need to face this horrible journey. Well no time like now to face some parents. I just hope they don't blame me for being late, it wasn't my fault really. The plane was the villain in all this; it had stupid speed issues and made me late. I could just imagine the lectures.

I walked with my head held high and my mind confident, if they wanted to poke and judge me I was ready for them, my life was in no way a disappointment to them, except maybe my choice of job. But I'd explain that to them later. I made it to the small porch, glad to be out of the rain. A sudden flash a déjà-vu made me pause. I could see it again, me running through the pouring rain to the evil queen waiting on the porch, waiting to give me a lecture on being late. It made me chuckle to think of it, I knew I was stronger now.

To say I was surprised when I saw who opened the door was kind of not the case. A girl about fifteen and shorter than I was answered it. She had brown medium hair, big eyebrows and wore jeans and a white top. I almost burst out laughing at their choice of babysitter. I knew she was a babysitter because she had that same annoyed expression I used to wear when the parents made me look after Toby on Friday nights. But that's not why I laughed, I laughed because she was the spitting image of me when I was that age. I hadn't spoken a word to this girl yet but already I pitied her. I know how she felt.

"Can I help you?" she asked, eyeing my bag and wet attire.

I decided that I would be very nice to this girl. I felt in a better mood knowing that I wasn't alone in the mood of not wanting to be here. I smiled at her.

"Yeah umm my name is Sarah" I said. The girl looked confused like she didn't know who i was or what I was doing there; surely they would have told her I was coming.

"I ah, I've come to stay for the weekend?" It came out as a question, maybe I had the wrong house, and I wasn't sure any other house on this road screamed terror like this one.

Recognition flashed in the girls eyes and she exclaimed "Oh yeah, you're the daughter right?" I nodded and she continued while stepping out of the way of the door to let me in "Your parents have gone to dinner, they said they'd be back at eight which looks like to be in an a few minutes"

I set my bag down in the hall and looked around. It was exactly the same as it had been when I last stepped out that door. Fancy cream and white coloured walls with flowers in vases and pictures of people I didn't know hanging on the walls. Yep Alice was back down the rabbit hole and into crazy land.

A disappointing truth dawned on me. I turned to the girl and said "Wait. Did my parents know i would be back at this time and _still_ go out to dinner instead of waiting for me?"

The girl looked embarrassed for me. "They said to tell you hello when you got in" as if that would make me feel better about the situation. I rolled my eyes and took off my wet coat, not bothering to do it outside, and shook it out letting the drips of water soak the expensive wall paper. I smiled at the little revenge and held out my hand to the girl.

"Sarah Matthews, nice to meet you. Wasn't expecting civilised company to be in this house" I said to her formally, as if I said that to everyone. She laughed and shook my hand.

"Katie lane, house babysitter" smiling at me.

A small shout of excitement came from the stairs as a little figure came rushing down them. My jaw dropped as Toby my little brother, now seven years old, came and hugged me shouting "Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Your here!"

He had definitely changed, his hair was brown instead of blond and he had grown to about my waist height. He looked like a really young version of my dad. Could've been worse, could have looked like the dark queen of the castle.

"Toby!" I hugged him as his little arms tried to encircle me. Unfortunately the door chose that moment to squeak open and reveal my dad and the hag he had married. My dad looked happy to see me.

"Sarah, you made it. Did you find the house ok? How was your flight?" as he hugged me too. Deep in my chest I felt really happy to see him and Toby. I didn't realize how much I missed them. Stepmother was another story.

She stalked forward and glanced at me and said to Katie "Toby is supposed to be in bed by now, Katie please try and keep up, we set simple instructions, all you have to do is feed him, bathe him and get him to bed, We go out very rarely and expect these things to be done when we get home, tonight is no different, now go on" Katie looked warily at her and nodded.

I really felt for her as she tugged Toby up the stairs. I wasn't having this, not while i was here. I stepped out of my father's hug and went up to my stepmother and said in an adult voice that I used when talking to a co-worker.

"Karen It was my fault," she hated when I used her name "My plane was late and it was raining and I was not in the mood to stand outside in the rain all night, I mean I must have thundered on that door of five minutes straight. Katie was just being nice to me as a house guest and I'm afraid I distracted her. Surely you could find it in your heart" your cold icy heart "To forgive her" Not likely.

Karen looked slightly flushed with anger and irritation. She smiled a forced smile and nodded to Katie who shot me a thankful smile and headed up stairs with Toby. Karen walked forward slowly and gave me a pat on the shoulder. I was expecting a spit in the face.

"Nice of you to come here so quickly and spend the holidays with us, Sarah. It must have been hard to drag yourself away from your job. What was it again? A columnist?" She knew that wasn't my job.

"No I'm an author and writer for a children's book company, I write child and teenage fantasy novels" I said proudly.

Karen smiled and said "How...exciting" Ha! She wouldn't know exciting if it slapped her in the face and said 'now wasn't that exciting!'

It was going to be a long weekend.

...

After a long and awkward conversation with my dad in the kitchen about my life and where i was headed and what I would do next in my life I felt like I just wanted to sleep away the night. I walked up the hallway toward my old room, loving the feeling of almost being back in my old sanctuary.

I opened the door to the dark room, walked in and turned on the lights.

_The princess was stabbed with a sharp shock wave at the sight in front of her. The walls once cream were now a cold colour of light blue and the shelves once filled with beloved treasures now stocked with things she had never laid eyes on before. This was not the place she remembered. This was not the place she wanted to be. Horror replaced shock as she turned in a circle fully taking in the room that was so different from the heaven she had left._

_It was like a torture chamber ready for the evil Queens use. Dust gathered around the bulky objects in the middle of the room and the princess was in an almost fully negative state of sorrow._

"Dad! Dad something's very wrong here!" I yelled in horror as I turned again in a circle, my arms spread out at my sides ready to catch me if I fell...or fainted. My mouth seemed like it would be in a never ending state of jaw dropping.

"Oh my god! What horrible place is this!?" I yelled again. A cold voice sounded from behind me.

"It's the indoor gym, Sarah"

I turned to look at the face of my enemy. My stepmother stood there looking at me with blank innocence. Gym?

"What are you talking about?!" I asked rushing toward her

"Well when you moved out I thought we needed another change and I thought, why not a gym. Keep us all fit and healthy" she said calmly

I shook my head at her and looked back at the room. How could this be? How could she do this? Now that I look at her, it seems to me this "Gym" isn't working. How could my dad do this? Her hold on him must be tighter than ever, the wicked wretch.

"How? Why? And where is all my stuff?!"

...

Leaks drifted in through the tin roof of the large attic. It was dusty with shadows thrown all over the place by the small light bulb hanging from the roof like a person hangs from a noose.

Boxes upon boxes of stuff lay out in front of me. All soaking wet and damaged from all the rain that had seeped into them over the years. I could see some of my old belongings. My old bed, now in pieced against the wall, the stuffed toys limbs hanging out of boxes, seeming to be reaching for me in desperate need of help. My old vanity table lay at the far end of the little space. I walked over to it in slow steps, looking at the rusted mirror, my reflection invisible through the dust.

I sat down in front of it and stared. I was sad about my belongings being trashed by the woman and left in the attic to rot and be rained on but I was really sad about my dressing table being left in this state. Once upon a time this white table, with its splintered wood and peeling paint was a valuable treasure to me. A doorway to the only true friends I had ever known and now it was dying, on its last leg, literally last leg the wood had bent and shrunk and had snapped off, only one leg of wood remained.

I don't know what came over me then but all of a sudden tears started to flow from my eyes. I leaned my head against the mirror and wiped away the dust to stare back at myself with puffy eyes. These eyes were the eyes of Sarah Williams and she had failed her friends. I know the truth of why my friends no longer appeared in the mirror, it's because I no longer need them, because I've grown up. And grownups don't need animal friends to hold their hands when the cry.

And I was sorry for that. I didn't want to leave them but I found that I had less and less use for them and they knew it too. The reason I had come home was to accept that truth. And finally let them go. The only problem was that I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't forget them. Maybe life would be easier if the Labyrinth had never happened and I wouldn't have had to go through all that I did, I wouldn't have to let anyone go and I wouldn't have to wake up screaming from the sound of his voice. My head was on the floor as I cried into it with my body curled up under me.

I shot up when a small voice greeted me from behind, for one fleeting second I could have believed it was Hoggle but as my eyes met my younger brothers, standing in the light of the hole in the floor leading to the hallway, the small bear Lancelot in his left hand.

"Sarah?" he said again with that small voice so different from the one he had used to greet me I had arrived.

Quickly wiping the tears away from my eyes and sitting in a better position I smiled at him and said in the most optimistic voice possible "hey Kiddo, Aren't you supposed to be in bed? Well I won't tell the evil quee- ah I mean...your mom"

He seemed relieve at my comment and smiled as he walk over in his blue pyjamas "I couldn't sleep knowing you were here and not telling me a bed time story, Moms ones are really bad, about trolls who eat too much candy and stuff"

I had to laugh at this. The memory of the story I had told him that fatal night came back to me and halted my smile, I had always been careful with the stories I told him after that, making up ones of my own so no kings or queens would come and take him away...again "Well let me think" I said as I sat him in my lap "what story would you like to hear?" I asked in what I hoped was a happy voice, I was starting to slip.

Toby rested his head on my shoulder and stared sadly at the floor. He had always done this whenever it was story time, I always had a theory that he knew the dangers of fairytales and what could happen but that was impossible, he was way too young when..._he..._took him.

His small sad voice echoed in my ears as he said "Sarah if you disappear again, like last time, do you promise to say goodbye?" for a panicked moment I thought he was talking about the Labyrinth but my thoughts went further and realized he was talking about when I left home.

It had happened two years after the Labyrinth. I was 17 and had grown into a rebellious stage of teen years. I acted out in class, hung out with bad people and even broke the law when I set fire to a car of a complete stranger. Of course no one was in the car at the time of the burning, I made sure of that. And I knew it was wrong but I needed to do something to show my parents that I wasn't invisible and that I existed.

The police picked me up and called Karen to the police station, much to my annoyance. She looked like a red tomato ready to pop when she heard what I'd done. She drove like a maniac all the way home not saying a word, when I walked inside she slammed the door behind her and started yelling about me throwing my life away and that I would never again leave this house. I was Cinderella locked in from going to the ball.

Of course I would never take a lecture from Karen laying down, I yelled back saying that she had no right to ignore me one day and boss me around, only speaking to me when she wanted me to do something or to be yelled at. I got so mad that I told her that she would never be a part of this family and that she was an evil trespassing bitch. She hit me, I hit back. An hour later I was at the bus station with my bags packed and a hundred dollar bill in hand, told never to come back home again. I didn't get to say goodbye to Toby, point to team Karen.

I had spoken to my dad and Toby over the years and things had gotten better between us as they realized I wasn't going to become a whore on the side of the road and throw my life down the toilet. I took care of myself and made my own life. I even got the point when I got to do dance and acting lessons with the money I had saved in between jobs. They said that when I walked on stage they couldn't take their eyes off me.

But I had always regretted not getting to say goodbye to Toby, I know it had hurt him badly and Karen knew this too. That's why she has finally let me come back home and see them. She knows she'll loose Toby if she doesn't put up with me, point for team Sarah.

"Of course I'll say goodbye, last time was just...complicated. You're too young to worry about this stuff Kiddo" My voice was no longer happy but small and sad as his was.

He sighed and closed his eyes "I wish we could always be together" I had another moment of panic, If I kept this up I'd be having a stroke at 21, I hated when he wished for things out loud.

I gazed back into the dust filled mirror "Sometimes wishes come true you know but we always have to be careful what we wish for or else you'll end up in situations that are really annoying and even dangerous" He glanced up at me with questioning eyes, I quickly explained "Forget what I said, just remember that your will is strong Toby Williams and no power can take hold of you as long as you have the will to fight that power. And don't worry about me. I'll come see you whenever I can" Whenever Karen lets me "and we'll spend lots of time together...Just not right know"

He looked about to go to sleep when he mumbled "It's not fair" I could feel tears filling my eyes again as I gazed down at my precious brother.

It's not fair was my old line. One I had not said in seven years and vowed never to utter again.

Unknown to Sarah and Toby Williams the mirror that Sarah had gazed at only seconds ago had begun to illuminate slightly and that someone was gazing back out at them.

...

Tomorrow was better, not great but certainly not awful. I awoke, on the couch with scratchy covering instead of in my old bed with comfy blankets, to the sound of my dad and Karen discussing how long they would like me to stay, dad whispered that I could stay as long as I like and Karen ordered that I would be out in one day.

I chuckled at how welcome I was feeling back in my childhood home. Breakfast was an awkward affair, silence around the table with me trying to swallow Karen's cooking while dad hid in his newspaper, until Toby came bounding down the stairs in his newly found eclectic manner of greeting people, he gave me a hug and sat down. I could feel the hole Karen was burning in the side of my face as I smiled at who got the good morning from Toby. After breakfast which included Toby talking my ear off of what he had been up too the last few years we headed out to the park and I showed him the story books I had written and published, he seemed very impressed with all I had achieved. We had fun on the playground and I laughed as he swung from bar to bar, bounding around the park like a little...goblin. As soon as I realized this I dragged him off for ice cream.

Later when It had gotten dark and we were preparing for dinner when my dad, surprisingly, asked that I accompany him and the witch to the movies later, Toby of course wanted to come but Karen wouldn't have a bar of it. She felt that I had already influenced him enough for one day and sent him to eat dinner quietly. He seemed glum that he wouldn't be able to come and I felt very bad for him, I had missed him so much and an evening with Karen and dad at the movies was, let's face it, a lot worse that spending time with Toby.

When we were about to walk out the door I pulled him aside and gave him a hug saying "I'll be back later and I'll be there to check in on you when we get back so you better be asleep, for all our sakes" I said the last bit with a glance at Karen who was ignoring us "Things will be better after this Toby, I promise and I promise that I'll be back later and I promise that I won't leave without saying goodbye" I kissed his forehead and gave him one last hug before marching out the door for a night of torture with Karen that I probably won't forget for a long time.

...

Surprisingly things weren't that bad. I spoke to dad most the night as we waited to go into the movie and Karen actually asked me if I wanted anything from the concession stand. I told her I wanted a water and I didn't miss her muttering to herself as she walked away "Halleluiah, if she eats anymore chocolate she'll be as big as her head" I wanted to chuck my water on her and see if she melted, Wicked witch of the concession stand.

After the movie we walked along the dark street back to the car, dad slowed to match my pace as Karen strutted ahead. Dad seemed to be dreading talking about something.

"Sarah, you know that we're all very happy to have you here but Karen-I mean...we feel that maybe it would be best if you left tomorrow" I froze on the spot, I didn't actually think that dad would listen to her and make me go early. Didn't he want me to stay at all?

"Why?" I asked slowly and simply. Better to keep it light or I might chuck a brick at Karen who had seemed to have a new bounce in her step.

Dad looked very uncomfortable and looked at his shoes "We just think that with everything that happened the last few years that it would be better on Toby if you left early. You know how much you can influence him and with all these crazy stories you think up, well we just want him to keep his head out of the clouds and stay in reality"

I had never known my dad felt this way; I could live with Karen's opinions of me but not this. I felt betrayed; it had always been me against Karen, not me against my parents. That was unfair! It's not fair!

I shot up to stand taller as I realized what had just gone through my head; "It's not fair" had been what I'd thought. That was strange, I had not been this upset with dad in awhile, maybe it was bringing back old habits, habits that I didn't want to bring back, maybe it would be better if I really did leave tomorrow.

I looked at him and then at Karen, they seemed oblivious to my presence and ignored me, my dad out of being uncomfortable and Karen out of hate. These were not the loving parents that every child wishes for; these were not the people who cared for me or my life as an author. These people did not want me to stay.

Realizing this I simply nodded my head at my father, my stupid manipulated father, and stared off into the night sky. I could hear them walking away and getting into the car around the corner out of sight. The engine did not turn on so I knew that they would wait for me while I thought through what had to be done when I got back to the place I had grown up, no longer home.

Thinking of this made me question "Where was home for me?" I had never really asked myself that question but it dawned on me now that I don't know where I belong.

I looked down at my black long boots that were shiny in the moon light. I loved these boots because they were shiny, I could even seen my blurry refection in them if I looked hard enough. As I was feeling numb and staring at my boots in the cold empty street there was no way that I could miss the flash or orange in the boots refection to the right of me.

I looked up into a dark alley filled with trash cans and scattered litter, to look for the flash of colour that had entered my view. Wind blew my dark hair into my face as my eyes found its target. For some reason there was a small blond baby, or toddler, in an orange suit sitting at the end of the alley.

"Toby?" I said in a puzzled voice. I didn't even realize it was him until I said his name. Panic found its way into my body as I went cold all over. It's Toby and I must protect him!

"Toby!" I yelled as I ran down the alley, when I was a metre from him I stopped dead. Wait a minute, Toby is seven now. So why am I looking at him when he's one and a half? I looked at the child that I had run all over the Labyrinth to rescue, to take back from the clutches of the king of Goblins. I started to feel scared and the feeling that was surfacing in my chest was starting to hurt. I clutched my chest as it began to ache. I started at the child as he started back at me, with his unknowing expression. The ache in my chest grew to my whole body as I began to shake from the force of it, it was painful and frightening. I wanted to run but my legs wouldn't work, I was stuck. And my limbs moved of their own accord.

I felt my legs take slow steps to close the distance between me and the younger Toby. I lifted him and held him to my chest. I didn't know what I was doing, I was screaming in my head for my dad or anyone to help me.

I could then feel my lips began to take shape to say something, it was then I knew what I was going to say but had no way to stop it.

"I wish to go back to the Labyrinth, right now"


	3. Chapter 3

November 1788

I'd hoped that no one ever find cause to open this letter, if you have I must assume that unexplained, or even supernatural, events have begun to occur. Throughout history certain incidents have given the people of the world cause to believe that all the citizens in it are not as they seem, that they are different, more advanced in mind and body than we mere humans will ever be. I must tell you that these certain beings do exist and they are in your very neighbourhood, walking down your streets and are always watching over us. But be not fooled by what I say, these ordinary looking people are not of a friendly nature, nor are they truly evil.

They slither into our cities and towns like fog in the night, going unnoticed by regular folk and before the people of innocent towns are even aware of them, they disappear entirely, never to be seen again. Questions are asked, people are interrogated but nothing is ever found on who these people really are and what they truly want...until now.

I, for the sake of my soul and family shall remain anonymous, and for all my secrets and lingering thoughts I could never tell another soul of these beings, for they would know immediately what I have divulged. I don't know how where there powers of mind come from and my thirst for knowledge about them has since ended with I myself meeting them face to face and make no mistake, these people are no angels from heaven nor demons from hell, more of lingering entities roaming the earth.

Their names are Sir Linfred Raven and Lady Fiesta Raven. The shadows on the earth that we can't see but somehow know in the back of our minds, no matter how much we don't want to believe it, that they exist.

It all started when Linfred was born in the 1700's, the exact date is unknown to me, and he was what you would call...unnatural. The people of his village knew it, his family knew it even his father knew what a strange child he was. As a baby he would stare out the window for hours never leaving that one spot, not even to cry to be held or fed. Linfred never cried, never got hurt, never even got sick. His mother was a kind and god fearing woman who believed she had the perfect son. But this happiness of a mother's love was cut short one dreadful night when his mother died of the consumption. Linfred mourned her and her lost soul, he knew that he life was to end and he hated the thought of living alone in this world, he also began to hate the family and people around him. He blamed them for his mother's death as they did nothing to save her but lock her in her room when no one else could catch the deadly virus. Linfred wanted nothing more than to end all there lies and hatred of him but could not in his right and find the strength to take a life. So as he always had done when a problem that he could not immediately fix arose, he bid his time and waited. As he grew older he grew stranger. He could tell when rain would fall or when someone was going to die, what people thought around them and what they had seen in their life. Linfred had to see it all; the misdoings of other people and feel the guilt of their sins.

As he grew into manhood the home town he had hated for so long rebelled against him, even his own family. They feared him and his curse. About what it could mean for them and what evil things he would do in his lifetime. They shunned him with the coldest of shoulders. He had not a friend in the world.

One cold and rainy night they gathered around his house where he had confined himself to be away from the world and its cruelties. He barged in and took him away, forcing him into the woods; they led him with weapons of pain and torches of fire to the middle of the forest. They beat him and burned him, tied him to a post and set him on fire, spitting as they did so. He burned and he burned, he gave them no scream to remember and no begging to reconsider his life, he just burned.

His body was nothing but bone and ash when they left him. Going back to their lives in peace, forgetting the dark soul of the man he had become. Whether you blame Linfred for what happened to him and what happened next is up to you to decide, I myself pity the man that was misjudged by those he wished his friends and I still wonder to this day why god thrust this curse upon him, these questions may never be answered. But I can not in my right mind condone what he did next.

Yes, it's true, Linfred survived. The reaper of death would not take his soul to the next realm, it is said that he thought it too soiled and evil to grace his lands and some say that Linfred made a deal with the reaper to live in exchange for his soul, I doubt the latter.

Linfred crawled out of his dusty coffin of wood and ash as rain pelted down upon him, he once told me that the drops of water were like hate and rage filling his empty soul like a bucket of water, and as he stood to scream at the unforgiving sky, the bucket exploded. He glanced toward the faint glow of the town and said in a voice like the devil himself "Forgive me father...for I shall sin"

He killed all the people who had ever done him wrong that night. You see, Linfred was not just a man of mind powers but rather a vengeful dark knight in rage that can take the life of any. Linfred as a cursed soul can turn into something that is not for human eyes to experience nor to live to see. He tore the throats and hearts out of the townspeople and ripped his family's member's limb from limb, burning the village as he stalked out of its borders.

Years passed as Linfred walked from town to town savouring his new found freedom and powers that came from his late dearth. And it came as a great surprise to Linfred that he had not aged since his death. The only thought that Linfred had for this new revelation was that he was glad that his family had killed him while he still had his looks.

Linfred had bright red hair with black roots, another thing that gave his enemies another reason to call him a demon. It was a wild sort of hair that never stayed still, messily styled without even him having to touch it in the morning. It hung from his head, 3 inches to his shoulder, not long but definitely not short. He had a lean muscled build, very skinny but not sickeningly thin. His skin was always pale, even before his death, a smooth sort of skin. His eyes were very striking, a dark shade of maroon. Pitch black when he was angry.

And let me tell you about Linfred's personality. I should have mentioned it before but I got caught up in the story, I apologise. Linfred is not evil; I feel I should make that clear. He only sought the lives of those that had taken his life themselves, and apart from them Linfred never gave a thought to killing; he saw no reason to waste a life if needed. He also had a kind heart but a sense of humour that gave people the wrong opinion about him, his joking manner made life easy for him and pushed the feelings he felt inside form not showing on the surface, you could insult and beat him without him ever showing the slightest twitch. He was good at hiding emotion. But he never had the idea to make friends; he didn't need them nor want them. They would just be deadweight in his eternity of darkness.

He also never had any ambition to make a huge difference in the world or to find out more about what he was; he just couldn't be bothered to find the answers. He was...lazy (For lack of as better word).

So he roamed aimlessly, eating drinking, not exactly necessary for someone who is dead but he enjoyed the taste even if it didn't make a difference to his long gone appetite. He never felt the need to partake in the pleasures of the flesh that woman so freely offered to him, it seemed that Linfred was devoid of all human feeling, except laziness and hate.

Yes, he hated the world he lived in. It never occurred to him to end his life, though it had happened a few times when a drunken Linfred would insult the wrong man and "accidently" get knifed in the back an hour later in an ally. Like all the other times before he would awaken in the morning and trudge home.

But I'm being unfair in saying he roamed "aimlessly", he didn't really. He studied. Linfred always had a thirst for knowledge and the wonders of the world. He learned all the languages he cared to learn, read all sorts of books, crime being his favourite, he always envisioned himself as a younger Sherlock Holmes. He learned about the world and watched it change. For one hundred years he learned and watched. Always in the background, observing. Waiting...for what he did not know, for something to happen, to find answers to what he was or why he was here. Linfred would sometimes, when he was nose deep in ale or wine in a rotting bar, despair over his existence. He felt he should know what he should do but the answer would never cross his mind, an errant thought just out of his reach. He would eventually give up, finish his drink and go wander to the next town, pondering or simply thinking of nothing.

In 1810 Linfred strolled into the bustling city of New York for the first time, the place that would become his home for decades. He loved it there; it ignited in his soul a shred of life again. The people, the buildings and the inner life of the city was like oxygen for Linfred. It gave him hope and meaning to think that he had found the place that he liked and treasured enough to stay permanently. With this hope he found ambition, ambition to succeed in the business world.

Linfred was not an unintelligent man. He was rather smart when it came to money and dealings of other human beings. It kept his mind busy from his anger.

Linfred created the biggest library in all of New York, it would soon become known as the New York Public Library in this modern time but back then it was called "The silent dwelling" I know not the most...agreeable name but Linfred was not the most optimistic of people. Every shelf was filled to the brim, every couch sat in and the population limit at its highest. Linfred was one of those people that never threw a book away so he had quite the collection in his hundred years of reading. The people were enthralled with the wide range of books he would open to the public. Any person of any station could come and read for as long as they liked, within the opening and closing time of course.

Linfred lived in the upstairs of the building. Right in the roof he would stare out the window with his thoughts. It often rained in New York and the roofs leaked but Linfred was never one to crave luxury. It rained and he thought, all through the night, he didn't sleep if he could avoid it. The nightmares were too much for his cracked mind to handle. The cold and dusty attic was like a warm comfortable home to him. He would gladly spend eternity in it if it were not for his need for more books could be pushed aside.

But America's people were human, and like all humans they didn't like peace for too long. The First World War broke out in front of everyone and Linfred was swept up into it. He could have stayed in his attic but alas he was a registered citizen and the cry's for sign up's even reached his ear and the chance to experience war for the first time was something Linfred was intrigued by.

He enlisted and was accepted with open arms. But war was something Linfred was not ready for. The violence brought back...unwelcome memories. And at the first sign of death the monster within him broke free from inside his soul and stayed out until his bloodlust was slated, which was a long time. Linfred would attack anyone in sight, tearing out throats and clawing off faces, not a single bit of regret in his being. Linfred broke away from his until and sought out the enemy, which was any human in sight, no matter which side of the war you were fighting on. The cries for help and begging fell on deaf ears as Linfred embraced the monster within.

But the monster would not go without his punishment. The war ended and Linfred had taken the lives of so many people that not even god could silence their anger. As Linfred returned back home on a carriage to New York he returned to his normal self. Never forgetting a second of the last years of his life Linfred at once heard the cries, felt the pain and begged to no one in particular for death. It hit him like a lightning bolt.

The passengers were scared out of their whits, claiming the war had gotten to the poor young man dressed in Uniform. The driver dropped the screaming Linfred off at the nearest town letting them deal with him, by this time Linfred had given into the sweet release of sleep for the first time in one hundred and twenty years. The police at once sent Linfred off to the Mental hospital just outside New York, fear the man with the blood red hair.

Linfred was locked in a cell and left to his thoughts, a thing Linfred tired of very quickly. The lives he had taken weighed on his mind constantly. The guilt had broken through from the deep reaches of his soul and had forced him to feel. This guilt made Linfred stay in his cell that he could have so easily gotten free of with his strength but he stayed.

The doctors already had their hands full with other deranged soldiers form the war and did not take notice of the silent red haired man with the gone look in his eyes. Finally the doctors gave up on Linfred and gave him the easy way out and shot him in the head out the back of the asylum.

If only this would help Linfred as they had meant for it to have. He awoke in the rain and dirt on the cold asylum wall and for the first time ever, Linfred cried. Beating his fists into the ground and yelling at the dark moonless sky Linfred despaired, cursing the god that had cursed him into his endless oblivion.

Still the rain fell from the sky as Linfred stood in the clearing next to the large white building, barely aware of his surroundings he stood for an hour staring at the ground. Barley noticing as a ray of light was opened onto the ground as a door opened in the wall and he heard the voice of one of the doctors ordering the death of yet another patient. The light disappearing as three orderly's dragged a small girl into the rain, throwing her to the ground of mud. The girl aware of nothing and as insane and empty as a puppet lay there, staring into the ground just as Linfred had done just seconds before. Linfred stared with no feeling as the orderly's stood over the tiny girl speaking words Linfred could not be bothered to listen too. Bored Linfred was about to go back to staring at the ground when a piercing scream filled the air.

That scream stabbed into Linfred's very soul, never in his life had he heard such desperation and fear in one scream, especially from a tiny girl such as that on the ground that was being hit by the orderly's. Numb with no feeling Linfred could not comprehend what was going on around him. He was as if an object, lifeless and not able to think just observe. Observe as a balding and fat orderly straddled the girl as she screamed an endless scream, paralysing Linfred further. Linfred couldn't think what they were doing to the little girl as they tore at her clothes, something he was missing and should be doing, and something that craved his attention but was just out of reach.

The breath in his frozen lungs came faster and more furious as Linfred watched this horrid display of cruelty. The girl was a fighter all right, full of life and...Insanity. Never had Linfred ever felt he should torture anyone in his life than he should those three cruel men. The reason for this feeling was unknown to him, he couldn't understand it nor could he move. It wasn't until the orderly grabbed the girl around the neck, covering her mouth with his for a moment and then shoving her head into the mud facing away from them and toward Linfred that she first made eye contact with him.

Something snapped in Linfred, a feeling of life more powerful than he had ever felt awakened in his soul and burst into flames as the girl's eyes pierced him. They seemed to scream "Please" Faster than Linfred had ever run; he bolted over to the group of men trying to despoil the girl. Only two things remained in Linfred's head. Not his name or his life, not his mind or his reasons but the want to obliterate the three men and protect the girl...the only girl in the world.

Smashing the skull of the closest men to Linfred, he threw the man into the pile of bodies with a vengeful scream and with a quick glance to the girl and the man still straddling her who just only heard his friends scream was mid head turn toward Linfred. More anger came into Linfred as a single thought squeezed into his head, the thought of this man touching the only person Linfred had ever noticed in his lifetime, without any thought he thrust his hand into the chest and took hold of the man's heart, lifted him off the ground and into the air as he dug his nails into the bleeding organ, the girl scrambled away from the two men and stumbled out of view though Linfred's senses would never let her out of range. The man with his heart torn and bleeding gave one gasp and a part scream as his heart was smashed in Linfred's grasp. Discarding the man Linfred was turning to see the third orderly running at him. Linfred stepped forward to meet the man when he was interrupted by the small girl who only came up to his collarbone stepped in front of him and gripped the man's head and with one clean pull ripped it from his shoulders and let out a scream as enraged as Linfred felt.

Again Linfred's mind seemed to stop. Why had the girl not let him finish it? Or more importantly...How had she had the strength to pull his head off?!

With her scream finished and the beheaded body on the ground the girl dropped the head and faced Linfred breathing hard. Linfred finally saw the girl for the first time, truly saw her. She was not a small and helpless girl at all but a small...apparently strong woman of about 18. Now that Linfred looked at her he found that she really did look child like except for her face, she had a small face with a curved mouth, button nose and angled black eyes, a pixie. Her hair was medium length and then and very straight, reaching her mid back with small strands lining the outside of her face, reaching past her chin. She was also pale like him and Linfred could not help but notice the thin body but round and petite sized breasts. All this with a long white dress that reached her knee's, which was a bit torn at her chest and covered in mud, Linfred couldn't have imagined a more beautiful creature.

He could have looked at her forever but alas his viewing was cut short when the woman collapsed. Linfred quickly caught the female whose name was unknown to him and picked her up bridal style. He whispered comforting things in her ear, promising safety and a place to stay Linfred walked away from the asylum with woman in arms.

Walking turned to fast walking and fast walking turned to running as Linfred gazed down at the creature of obsession. Yes he was obsessed with her, whoever she was. But who could she be other than one of what he was, he had never seen another human being rip a head off or look in his eyes with such a fierce soul behind them, who could she be other than his soul mate, Linfred had never believed in soul mates before...that was no longer the case.


End file.
